On the surface, moths seem to be harmless little critters. Take it from me; they are not what they seem to be! Not by a long shot! They are in fact rather deceptive little creatures. Like butterflies they have very thin, delicate wings, almost like tissue paper and they do not bite nor do they sting. Like I said, they seem harmless. The truth is that although a moth will not harm a person nor an animal, they will in fact destroy your clothing, curtains and anything else made out of cloth. Indeed, the main focus of a moth in a house is to destroy your possessions. If you allow moths to get inside of your home you will find that not only do your clothes begin to have holes in them, they are really difficult to get rid of.
Standing water and clothing is what moths are mostly attracted to. One day you may suddenly begin to find holes in your clothes, towels and drapes. If this happens it is a good bet that your house has been invaded by moths. You may not notice them right off the bat, for moths love to go into places that are moist and dark such as closets and bathrooms. It is easy to miss seeing one or two moths in your house, however when they begin to multiply there is no hiding any longer.
If you happen to notice any kind of a moth problem then it is time to clean your home completely and thoroughly! To really be sure they are gone it is wise to take each clothing item out of your closet as well as towels and shake them out thoroughly outside and then run them through your washing machine to be sure that you got them all. If you see a lot of moths outside around your house, then it is a good idea to look around and see if there are any existing moth nests. If so, destroy them!
To ensure that you are completely rid of these destructive, yet “harmless” creatures it is important to clean and air out your home inside and out. Be aware of standing water, as moths love to bask in these areas. Check in any closets, damp areas such as kitchens and bathrooms and do not forget about storage areas where you may have clothes stored for long periods of time.
It is well known that moths find ceder to be offensive to them, so you might consider using cedar blocks or chips in your closets and in storage bins to repel them. Another benefit of the cedar is that most humans love the scent of cedar, and it gives clothing a really nice and fresh smell. There are always the good old fashioned mothballs that our grandmothers used to have in their closets, however I prefer the smell of cedar myself.
If you want to keep moths out of your house permanently and in fact discourage them from even entering your house, you may consider keeping a block of cedar up on your doorways or a cedar scented oil lamp. Moths may seem innocent like butterflies, but they definitely can cause a lot of damage if you allow them to invade your home. Protect your wardrobe and keep the moths out.
